Carbon dioxide snow machine



May 31, 1932. M, SMALL 1,861,328

CARBON DIOXIDE SNOW MACHINE Filed Nov. 50, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.2.

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May 31, 1932.. M SMALL 1,861,328

CARBON DIOXIDE SNOW MACHINE Filed Nov. 50, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gmwntoz NormanM. Sm a I l Patented May 31, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NORMAN M. SMALL, F WAYNESBORO, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 'IO FRICK COMPANY, OF WAYNESBORO, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA CARBON DIOXIDE SNOW MACHINE Application filed November so, 1929. Serial No. 410,822.

This invention relates to machines for making snow or ice from carbon dioxide, and an object is to provide a simple but sturdy machine'in which carbon dioxide under the necessary pressure and temperature may be expanded into snow or ice.

A further object is to provide convenient means for supporting the chamber in which the snow or ice is formed and for keeping it closed during the freezing operation and for opening it to allow the snow to be removed after the snow is formed in the chamber.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof and on which similar reference characters indicate similar parts,

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the machine Figure 2 is a section substantially on line 20 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a partial sectional view of the upper portion of Figure 2 with parts removed, and with means for operating the expansion valves shown more in detail, and

25 Figure 4 is a partial plan view of Figure 3 showing operating mechanism for the expansion valves.

In the drawingsnumerals and 11 indicate frame portions, here shown as heavy 80 beams having cross beams 12 at their top upon which rests a drum 13 in which the carbon dioxide is frozen into snow. The drum 13 may be surrounded by suitable insu lating material 14 which may be and preferably is cork of suflicient thickness to provide effective heat insulation. The upper end of the drum 13 is covered by means of a plate 15 which has an annular groove 16 into which the upper edge of the drum 13 seats. A number of brackets 17 may be secured around the outside of the upper end of the drum to which the plate 15 is fastened by means of bolts'18. A pipe 19 having a relief valve 20 on its outer end may pass down through the cork insulated top 14 and through plate 15 to provide safety means in case the pressure in the drum 13 should become excessive for any reason.

Extending downwardly into the drum 13 are expansion nozzles 21 through which carbon dioxide is expanded into the drum. The passage of fluid through these nozzles is controlled by valves 22. Since the whole assembly is rather high and it is necessary to have the valves 22 at a considerable elevation it is found convenient to operate these valves by means of cables 23 which pass around idle pulleys 24 and around pulleys 25 on the valve stem of the valve 22. The cables 23 are preferably wound a number of times around the pulleys 25. By this mechanism the valves may be conveniently operated from the ground. The lower portion of the drum 13 I extends down below the bars 12 and is closed by means of a plate 26 which is suitably mounted upon trucks 27 which travel on tracks 28 secured to the inner sides of the frame portions 10 and 11 of the machine. A beam 29 rests at each endupon brackets 30 and 31. Beam 29 preferably is made of U- irons 32 and 33 placed back-to-back and secured together by .means of plates 34 and 35.

Bolts 36 pass up between the U-beams 32 and 33 and have nuts 37 and 38 by means of which the plates 34 and 35 are securely gripped to hold the elements of beam 29 together. Substantially V-shaped supports 39 and 40 depend from the carriage 26 and the bolts 36 pass up through the lower portion of the member 40 and have nuts 41 and 42 on their upper ends. These nuts confine compression springs 43 between them and the lower edge of the brackets 39 and 40. The springs 43, as will be seen, are tensioned to hold the trucks 27 upon the tracks 28. Toggle levers 44 are pivotally secured at their upper ends to a bracket 45 depending from the lower side of the plate 26 and are pivoted at their lower end to a bracket 46 secured to the top of .the beam 29. The toggle arms 44 are pivoted at their 00 center to right and left hand nuts 47 and 48 through which the end of a screw shaft 49 extends, the end of shaft 49 being threaded with left hand threads on its outer end and right hand threads on a portion near the outer end. The shaft 50 has a hand wheel on its outer end.

From the construction just described it will be seen that rotation of the hand wheel 50 in one direction will open the toggles 44 to 100 to be filled with ice the hand wheel is operatedto open the toggles 4A: and allow trucks 27 to rest upon the tracks 28, the hand wheel is moved slightly further to further open the toggles 44. Since the trucks cannot descend further the toggle arms will now lift the beam 29 oil the tracks 30 and 31. The trucks 27 carrying the beam 29 and all of the associated parts are moved to the right as shown in Figure 1 until the truck 27 is stopped by a bracket 51 on the track 28. The top of' the plate 26 is then clear of the lower end of the drum 13. Snow may then drop out of the drum 13 into suitable receptacles, now shown. A pipe 52 is connected to the drum 13 near 1 its top through which carbon dioxide gas which does not freeze into snow may be drawn and delivered to any suitable place, such as the suction line of the compressors for the carbon dioxide. In addition to or in place of the expansion nozzles 21 I may find it desirable also to expand CO through the head of the drum. The head therefore is perforated and is normally closed by means of a plug 53 which extends up through the corkplates 14 above the top of the drum. This plug may be removed if desired and an expansion nozzle secured into the drum in place thereof so as to provide an additional or a diflerent expansion nozzle.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in my device without departingfrom the spirit of the invention and therefore I do not limit myself to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the appended'claims.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A carbon dioxide snow machine comprising a frame, a drum mounted on said frame, means for expanding carbon dioxide into said drum, means for withdrawing unfrozen carbon dioxide vapors from said drum, a truck mounted on said frame, a plate on said truck, means for moving the truck and the plate vertically to close the lower end of the drum, and means for moving the trucks and the plate laterally of the drum to clear the open end to permit removal of frozen CO from the drum, substantially as set forth.

2. A carbon dioxide snow machine comprising a frame, a drum mounted on said frame having its lower end open, means for expanding carbon dioxide into said drum to form snow therein, a-set of trucks mounted to travel laterally on said frame, a plate on said trucks, a beam suspended from said plate adapted normally to rest upon said frame, a pair of toggle elements secured at their upper end to the plate on said trucks, and at their lower end to said beam, and means for opening and closing the toggle-arm to raise and lower the plate on the said trucks, substantially as set forth.

3. A carbon dioxide snow machine comprising a support, a snow making drum mounted on the support, means for expanding carbon dioxide into said drum, means for withdrawin unfrozen carbon dioxide vapors from said rum, a closure for said drum, a runway on said support said closure being movable laterally on said runway, and means for lifting said closure off said runway to position it in contact with the drum, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, this 31st day of October, A. D. nineteen hundred and twenty-nine.

NORMAN M. SMALL.

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